Does Science Promote Women? Evidence from Academia 1973–2001

Fewer women are present in science academe than in the workforce as a whole, and this is particularly true in the higher levels of academe, such as tenured jobs and full professorships at major research universities. This chapter begins from the point when scientists receive their Ph.D.s and investigates gender differences as they move up the academic career ladder through the stages of getting tenure-track jobs, being granted tenure, and being promoted to full professorships.

Our analysis of promotion uses data from the 1973 to 2001 waves of the Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR). The SDR is a biennial, longitudinal survey of doctorate recipients from U.S. institutions conducted by the National Research Council. The SDR collects detailed information on doctorate recipients including demographic characteristics, educational background, employer characteristics, academic rank, government support, primary work activity, productivity, and salary